


Chapter I-Leaving for Christophsis

by it_is_I_the_Grate_Bad



Series: Star Wars: Struggles of the Fallen [1]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Coruscant (Star Wars), Gen, Jedi, Other, Pre-Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7 Spoilers, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25939102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/it_is_I_the_Grate_Bad/pseuds/it_is_I_the_Grate_Bad
Summary: Jedi Padawan Indiga Rokia wakes up and prepares to leave with her master, Jor Takara, and the 405th Regiment in the Grand Army of the Republic for the Outer Rim planet of Christophsis, where they have received information of a resurgence of Separatist activity and reports of a massive base being installed.
Series: Star Wars: Struggles of the Fallen [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1882576





	Chapter I-Leaving for Christophsis

Chapter I: Leaving for Christophsis

Indiga ran as fast as she could, but she wasn’t sure why. All around her, she saw the shapes of terrifying men in white and purple armor, all firing right at her. She dodged each bolt as best as she could, but soon one struck her on the back of her right shoulder. She fell face first, then looked and saw she was at the feet of her master. She looked up to his amphibian face, gazing down at her in terror. He bent down slightly to get a better look at his young padawan, but then a multiple bright blue blaster bolts pelted his chest. He fell backwards, and Indiga reached out for him, but he disappeared in a cloud of grey smoke. All around her she heard the cackling of an old man. The laughter soon filled her ears, and she could hardly get it out of her head.

She woke up in a cold sweat. She sat up in her small cot, wiping the sweat off her body with the corner of her sheets. She felt no more pain in her shoulder, and there was no more cackling. Looking around her room in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, at the familiar sight of her robes laying neatly on a nearby chair and her lightsaber set on her nightstand, her nerves soon cooled down.

Indiga stood up and walked over to a nearby window, where golden sunlight poured through, signaling the morning. In the distance she could see the tall skyscrapers which dominated the horizon for miles on end. Among them stood the senate building and the Republic Executive Building where Chancellor Sheev Palpatine resided. Her vision went out of focus, and soon she could see her own reflection in the glass. She was a slender girl of sixteen years old with long, straight black hair that ran down to her chin, narrow brown eyes, and a pointed chin. A single long braid ran down her right temple down to her shoulder. It often tickled her skin when she moved, which she found quite annoying. She scratched an itch on her neck then tied her hair behind her head in a ponytail, then got dressed for the day.

Exiting her chambers, Indiga walked through the maze of hallways before finally coming to the main hallway, a massive vaulted room held up by large pillars. She knew she needed to find her master and ask him about her dream and whether or not it was a premonition for terrible things to come.

“Why didn’t the council give me this assignment when we were in session?” she heard someone ask. She turned her head towards where the voice was coming from and saw its source, a tall man with long, dirty blonde hair and a scar over his right eye. His face was contorted with hidden anger.

“This assignment is not to be on record,” another man replied softly. This man was slightly shorter with thick red hair parted on the left and a full beard.

“The chancellor is not a bad man, Obi-Wan. He befriended me, he watched over me ever since I arrived here.”

“That is why you must help us. Anakin, our allegiance is to the senate, not to its leader, who has managed to stay in office long after his term has expired.”

“The senate demanded that he stayed longer!”

“Yes, but use your feelings, Anakin! Something is out of place!” Obi-Wan sharply whispered. Anakin walked away from Obi-Wan towards the nearby window overlooking the city outside.

“You’re asking me to do something against the Jedi Code, against the Republic, against a mentor and a friend! That’s what’s out of place here! Why are you asking this of me?” Anakin demanded.

“The council is asking you, not me,” Obi-Wan replied quietly. Anakin said nothing, only walked off down the hallway. Obi-Wan bowed his head and looked solemnly out the window. Indiga awkwardly came out from her hiding spot into the light.

“Master Kenobi?” she asked shyly. Obi-Wan turned his head towards the padawan, first with a gentle smile, then a look of concern.

“How much of that conversation did you hear?” he asked, slowly approaching her. She backed up slightly, looking down in embarrassment and rubbing her wrists.

“From when he asked why he wasn’t given his mission in session onward…” she confessed. Obi-Wan looked away in brief frustration, then back at Indiga.

“Please promise me you will never speak of what you just heard. Can you do that for me?” Obi-Wan asked her seriously. She only nodded in response.

“What is your name, padawan?”

“Indiga Rokia, Master.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Indiga. I presume you already know who I am?”

“You’re Master Obi-Wan Kenobi,” she answered, looking into his eyes now.

“You’ll have to excuse my padawan, Indiga. He’s not very happy with his new assignment.”

“May I ask what the…” she trailed off, stopping herself form making such a ridiculous request.

“Ask what? What his assignment is?” Obi-Wan asked. “I’m afraid not. It’s a very private affair within the council. If word of it gets out… no, that’s all I can say. But please, don’t tell anyone about what you heard.”

“Then, may I ask you something else instead?”

“What is it?” Obi-Wan replied, slightly irked.

“I’ve looked up to you for a while, as a duelist. Could you… I don’t know, could you… spar with me? Just one time, is all I ask.”

“Could we do that later? I have a lot on my mind at the moment, and I have no time to be entertaining anyone.”

“Oh. I see,” she said, downcast. Obi-Wan saw the disappointment in Indiga’s face, and placed a kind hand on her shoulder.

“That’s not to say it will never happen. With the war going on, however, it’s difficult to make time for such affairs.”

“Master Kenobi! Forgive my padawan, was she bothering you?” called a large, gruff voice. Indiga and Obi-Wan both turned to face the Jedi approaching them.

“Not at all, Master Takara. She was just asking me for a sparring session,” Obi-Wan chuckled.

“Is that so?” he said, looking down at his padawan with his small, black eyes. Indiga’s master, Jedi Master Jor Takara, was a Karkarodan, a shark-like being with sharp, pointed teeth in his wide mouth, and small black eyes behind the slit-like pupils on his large, wedge-shaped head. Gills lined his neck, and his rough skin was grey-blue.

“She seems to be quite investigative, that’s a good quality,” Obi-Wan remarked. “Did you teach her that?”

“No, she was like that since I took her on as a padawan. It’s gotten her into some trouble, to be sure, but it’s gotten us out of some tough situations before. Right, Indiga?”

“Right,” Indiga answered, now uplifted by her master’s words.

“Yes. Well, I must be off,” Obi-Wan said.

“So must we. We’re taking the 405th to Christophsis. The separatists are on the move there, and we must get the system back under our control.”

“Well, good luck to you two, and may the Force be with you,” Obi-Wan said with a bow. Takara and Indiga bowed in return, then walked off in separate directions.

“What were you and Master Kenobi discussing?” Takara asked Indiga. Recalling her promise to Master Kenobi not to speak of the conversation she overheard between him and Master Skywalker, she stopped.

“Uh, nothing…” she stammered, looking away from her master.

“Indiga?” he said as he stepped in front of her. “You know I can tell when you’re lying. Now, was it a private matter?” Indiga looked up at her master, who towered over her, his arms crossed. He turned his head slightly and arched an eyebrow, waiting for a response.

“He told me not to speak of it to anybody,” she finally said, not knowing what else to add.

“Did that include me?” he asked. She nodded. “Huh. I’m quite jealous you got in on it then.” They continued walking.

“I didn’t, I was… eavesdropping.” Her master stopped her again.

“Indiga, why would you do such a thing?” he asked her. She looked down in shame, her cheeks flushing.

“I-I didn’t mean to, I just came across them and had nowhere else to go,” she stammered.

“You could have gone back the way you came! Or you could have walked past them quickly without listening to them!” he roared. He then sighed. “No matter anymore. What is done is done. But do not speak of whatever you overheard between Kenobi and Skywalker. Word of it may get out, and they will surely come for you first.” They continued walking to the hangar, where they knew a transport ship would be waiting to take them to the 405th’s star destroyer, the _Attacker._

“Are you alright, Indiga? You seem on edge,” Takara asked her, sensing anxiety inside her.

“Master, last night I had a dream,” Indiga said and described what happened. “Do you think it could be a vision of the future?”

“A vision? Perhaps, but I do hope not. Regardless, we must move forth with caution if this dream you had truly was a premonition.” The pair boarded the transport ship, accompanied by two guards in Phase II armor with royal purple markings. After departing the Jedi Temple, the air slots of the doors on the ship shut as they exited the atmosphere and flew upwards towards a venator-class star destroyer. The ship entered the hangar and landed, and the doors opened up. Several more men in purple-marked armor, led by a commander with silver bracers on his forearms, stood to attention.

“Attention, general on deck!” the commander ordered. Every soldier snapped into formation.

“At ease, men,” Takara said. “We are departing Coruscant and will be heading towards Christophsis. The Separatist forces there have relaunched yet another invasion, this time towards the north pole of the planet. The temperatures there will be cold, but we have all provisions required to keep us warm.” A holographic map hummed to life, showing a diagram of the northern hemisphere of the planet. “We will launch our attack starting at the city of Gimstein in the north, and then work our way to their base several miles south. Our scout reports say that the base is heavily guarded, so taking it over will be no easy feat. They have guards posted at every conceivable point, turrets, shields, and more. I will give a more complete briefing soon, but know that this will be the fight of our lives, perhaps the most difficult mission that the 405th will ever embark on. However, I hold you men, and you Indiga, in the highest regard, and I am confident that if we execute our plan with precision and power, the Separatists won’t know what hit them. By the Force, we will win this battle! Dismissed.” With a wave of his hand, he sent the clones away. Many shuffled off to perform their duties or to relax and socialize. The commander and two other troopers stayed there, however.

“Good presentation, General Takara. And it means a lot to us that you care,” the commander said.

“It was nothing, Rigby. I only spoke the truth. You are, in my opinion, the finest men the Republic army has ever had the privilege of working with.” Indiga soon got bored of the conversation, and she walked off to a nearby hallway where she spotted three clones leaving.

After tracking them for a few minutes, Indiga came upon a mess hall where several clones were sitting and eating. After grabbing herself some food, just some soup and a sandwich, she found a group of three clones. All three had the same image, with tan skin, black hair, and brown eyes.

“Indiga!” they all said in relative unison.

“Hey guys,” she said happily as she joined her friends.

“Have a seat,” one clone named Zap said as he scooted over on his bench to make room for her. He had a standard clone haircut, but his face was covered in tattoos that resembled lightning. Indiga set her tray in front of her and sipped some of the soup out of a spoon. Not wanting to spit the disgusting concoction onto one of her neighbors, she swallowed it. The hot sludge felt as if it stuck to the inside of her throat as it entered her stomach.

“How’s the soup?” another clone named Blaster asked her with a chuckle. His head was clean shaved, but he had a small soul patch under his lower lip. She grimaced, but she nodded sarcastically with a thumbs-up.

“Yeah, rations nowadays aren’t as good as they used to be,” the last clone said as he poked at his food with his fork. His name was Crow. He had the standard haircut as well as a five o’clock shadow.

“When were they ever good?” Blaster asked.

“Fair enough,” Crow responded as he bit into his sandwich. Indiga could hear the crunch from where she sat.

“So, Indiga, any more information on the plan for Gemstein? Any ideas for us?” Zap asked her.

“Sorry, but not yet. I do have a map on me, though. We could study while we eat,” Indiga suggested. Crow pushed his tray aside.

“Anything’s better than eating this,” he said with a shrug. Blaster continued eating but paid attention as Indiga carefully set out the hologram and pulled up the map of the city Gensteim. She expanded it so that it encompassed the surrounding area, right to where the Separatist base to the south was highlighted in red.

“Alright, so, how far away from Gemstein is the base?” Zap asked.

“Looks like around eighteen miles, by my guess. Through that entire stretch is a maze of crystals that could stretch us way off course,” Indiga explained as she zoomed in on the span of land between the two points. A jagged maze of crystalline structures separated the two spots.

“What if we were to take a team and climb on top of the maze, just bypassing the whole thing?” Blaster suggested between mouthfuls of sandwich.

“I dunno if that’s the best idea, Blaster,” Crow said, zooming in on the Separatist base. “My guess is that they’re gonna have snipers posted on the outskirts of the base. They’ll be able to spot us from miles off, pick us off one by one.”

“But we can’t navigate through that entire maze. We’ll get lost easily, plus there may be traps in there!” Zap said. “And who knows what wildlife we’ll find. I’ve heard this place has some nasty animals.”

“Moreover, if we stay down too low, it would be easier for crystals to fall and crush us,” Indiga said, rubbing her chin. “But if we climbed the crystals, we’d have a better chance at spotting them, but the snipers would have a better chance at spotting us.”

“And even if we did climb the crystals, we’re way up north. Those things could be too slippery to climb. One of us falls, we’re done,” Blaster realized.

“We’ll be given winter gear, so I’d assume that we’d be able to climb those crystals without slipping and without getting our hands cold,” Indiga said.

“There’s another issue I think we should worry about,” Crow said as he zoomed in on the separatist base, focusing on a hangar on the side of the base, facing north. “That hangar could easily hold fighters, or worse, bombers. Not one of us can survive a direct blast from one of those.”

“I mean, it could also just be speeders. We can handle those real easily,” Zap said.

“You can’t be serious,” Crow replied. “They’ll obviously have bombers. Even if the scouts can’t get inside the hangar and report what’s in there, I’d say based on the surrounding damage, they’ve got them. See these craters and fallen crystals all around the area? It’s a miracle the entire place hasn’t been flattened yet.”

“Do we have access to walkers? Maybe those could give us some cover fire. Any fighters or bombers fly over us, they’ll take them out. If it’s just speeders, we can handle those just fine,” Indiga suggested.

“I’d have to check, but I think we’ll have some. Plus, the natives could lend us some cannons if they have any. I’ve heard those things’ll pack a punch to those bombers,” Blaster said as he swallowed the last of his sandwich.

“That’s right…” Crow said, stroking his stubble.

“Yeah, that could work!” Zap exclaimed. “We crawl along the tops of these crystals, keep our heads low enough so the snipers can’t spot us, and if any bomber patrols fly by, the walkers blast them out of the sky before they can hit us!”

“What if one of the bombers crashes near us? When it’s blasted out of the sky?” Crow asked.

“Then we’ll tell the gunners to hit them before they’re in our vicinity,” Indiga said.

“And if they fail to do so?”

“Come on, Crow, do you need to be such a downer at every opportunity? I think this plan sounds pretty good so far,” Zap said, pushing at Crow’s shoulder.

“Shall we take this over to the commander then?” Blaster asked.

“Yeah, he and my master should like to hear this,” Indiga said as she shut off the hologram and put it into her pocket. The three dumped their trays in the waste bin and started off for the command center.

“You know, I heard that the cooks dig wasted food out of the garbage bins and reserve it, and that’s why it tastes so bad,” Crow said.

“Shut up!” Zap yelled. Blaster and Indiga laughed.

Indiga, Blaster, Crow, and Zap roamed the mazes of hallways and elevators up to the command center where Master Takara, Commander Rigby, and a few other officers stood around a hologram table.

“Ah, there she is,” Takara said as he spotted his padawan. “Where have you been?”

“I was just-” Indiga began.

“Why do you sound so guilty? You’re not in trouble,” Takara asked.

“We were just forming a plan of our own we thought you might like to see,” Zap said for her.

“Right, we all came up with this together,” Indiga said as she pulled her hologram out of her pocket and plugged it into the hologram. The map switched over to the hologram map as the three explained their ideas. Takara and Rigby stood watching with impression as they three pointed out their ideas and details.

“So, what do you think? Could this plan have a chance?” Indiga asked.

“It’s certainly a concept, and you four put a lot of thought into this,” Rigby said rubbing the chin of his helmet. His macrobinoculars were slid up to his forehead, partly covering the purple paint on the dome.

“I believe that this could work out fine,” Takara began, “but I will not deny that this will be very dangerous. Indiga, if you want to go through with this, I cannot come with you. I will be needed at the front, defending the city.”

“I know,” she replied, “but I’m not sure if I’m ready to lead my own team…”

“What are you so worried about?” Blaster asked, nudging her with his elbow. “You sealed up all the holes in that plan pretty quickly, you know it inside and out. You’ll do fine!”

“Indiga, I understand that you would be nervous about this, but we can give you any and all provisions you need, and I’ll have my hologram at the ready if you need to contact me.”

“So will I,” Rigby said. Indiga stood in thought for a moment, then looked at her master.

“Alright, I’ll do it. I’ll lead the strike team to the base.”


End file.
